MONEY PROBLEMS

With the dawn of adulthood, a lot of my flaws have become quite impossible to miss. One of the most glaring, at this stage of my life, is my inability to keep money stashed; I’ve been operating on a See it? Spend it level. A Live Life Now level. A Chop Life Make Life No Chop You level. In essence, I have been almost unable to be disciplined with saving.

The mobile savings platforms, Piggyvest and Cowrywise, try to keep me in check butttttt there’s only so much Ope from Cowrywise can do.

One time, in a conversation with my family, the topic of my earnings came up and I just laughed internally because… these people thought I was rolling in cash when in reality, I was struggling with myself and fighting a serious battle. I knew that if I told them how much I actually had, they would call for prayers on top of my head.

I have decided that it is time for an intervention.

You see, you need to aspire to financial freedom to inspire growth so you can retire and not have to perspire…. You get?

Over the past week, I’ve had the honor of engaging several brilliant minds on the issue of Finance Management; people with adulting experience, because I don’t even know what I’m doing again lol.

OOOMMMMMMOOOO‼, for me it’s down to paycheck and level of discipline, if my pay is crap then it’s “IF WE PERISH WE PERISH”, if my pay is reasonable then “TEAM SAVE” , when my pay is AWESOME‼ , we do all

I save, every month.

Through piggybank.

Yes, I have a percentage but I’m not bound by it. If something comes up, I readjust and deal with it but I have to save something anyways…no matter how small.

I’m not the best with money honestly.

For a while my motto was even “I’m here for a good time and not a long time”; blowing money fast.

I am team chop life. But I gotta save for that.

So for example, I have multiple saving Jars. I decide how I need to chop life and what else I need money for. Then I start saving towards everyone of them.

Like now, I have one for School, Travelling, Shopping, Emergency Fund. When I reach a certain goal then I offload and chop life. The only money I never touch is my Emergency Fund.

I typically do 50% of my earnings every month.

I save with my colleagues, so like ajo lol.

We have a monthly plan. When it’s my turn to get the bulk of the money, I invest it.

When treasury bills was still good, I did that a lot.

These days I invest in farms.

God forbid that we perish. I’m Team Save more chop life small.

I set aside a definite portion so as my earnings grow, my savings grow.

I save to invest. Voila

When I receive salary, I will move half to another account I have no ATM to but can still transfer. Then I will sit in office and be imagining cravings in the middle of the month. Then I will make the ultimate transfer after all I won’t perish, it’s just a bit; a bit turns to empty account.

So end of story, I save and perish from that savings.

These are some of the responses I got when I

asked people about their finances and saving culture. While a lot of people seemed to have their lives together, with definite plans as to what to save, how to save it and when to save it, it turned out that some people were still as lost as I was; trying to save but not really succeeding, you know?

Several conversations have led me to believe –

People find it easier to save when they set financial targets.

I always thought the only key to developing a successful saving habit was discipline, which I just happened to lack; I see now that’s it’s not entirely true. (Yay I’m not an embodiment of indiscipline after all!)

Almost everyone agreed that setting a financial goal for yourself is important as it gives you something to work towards. Discipline comes into play when you actively work towards achieving that set goal.

Essentially it’s easy to do with an end in sight, as opposed to just casually… doing. Make sense yea?

A number of people also reinforced the need to watch what money is spent on; we can do without a lot of things.

Before I make any purchase, I’ll ask myself:

• Will I die if I don’t buy it?
• Will my leg break?
• Will my hair fall out?
• Is this a real neeeddd??

*Please note that ice cream is exempted from these rules 😭*

So, I’m looking at cutting costs and saving more, learning how to account for every kobo of my schmoney. Howeverrrrrr, this does not mean that I’ll start living like a pauper, nopeee. We’ll still enjoy life, indulge a little, just a little more cautiously.

In the words of a finance sensei:

‘Start with what you have’

Saving doesn’t make you rich….but if you don’t save, you’ll never be rich.

This is more than just the need for financial security for me; it’s about all-round development, becoming a better adult, learning how to stick to plans, learning to be accountable. But, yea, one step at a time.

Are you satisfied with your current financial habits?

Do you struggle with saving?

Will you try to fix it?

This is your conscience knocking on your door…. Lol not really.

This is just a girl trying to do better.

Love,

P.s. If you enjoyed this post, you’ll love How to be an adult: tips from successful adults.